Canal-boat-operating mechanism.



No. 665,765. Patehted Ia 8, I90I'.

LA mAncus A. THOMPSON. CANAL BOAT OPERATING MECHANISM.

(Application med Sept. 17, 1900.) (No Model.) 1 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

m: noms PETERS co PHOYO-LITHOY, wAsa-lm ou, D c

No. 665,765. Patented Ian. 8, 1901.

LA MARCUS A. THOMPSON. CANAL BOAT OPERATING MECHANISM.

(Application filed 56g" 17, 1900.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LA MARCUS A. THOMPSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CANAL-BOAT-OPERATING M ECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,765, dated January8, 1901.

Application filed September 1'7, 1,900. serial No. 30,274. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that T, LA MARCUS A. THOMP- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCanal-Boat-Operatiug Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to the operation of boats on canals, and moreespecially of those used on pleasure-canals. By pleasure-canal I meanwhat may be designated as an endless waterway that is,one in which theboats, after beginning their travel, traverse a course which brings themaround to the landing-place,which is close to the starting-point, therebeing a difierence of level of the Water at the points'of embarkationand debarkation sufiioient to give to the boats the desired speed oftravel. By reason of this difierence in water-level it is necessary toprovide mechanism by which the boats may be raised,after traversing thecanal, from the lower to the higher level, so as to be in readiness foranother voyage. My invention relates to mechanism for raising the boats,as just referred to, for steadying the same'during the embarking of thepassengers and while they are being landed, and for giving to the boatsa starting impetus. y I shall now describe myinvention moreparticularly, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view designedto represent a pleasure-canal such as has been referred to. Fig. 2 is avvertical section of the canal at the points of loading and unloading thepassengers. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2. Fig.4 is a vertical section on the line IV IV of Fig. 3 viewed in thedirection of the arrow. Fig. 5

is a perspective View of a portion of the canal.

Like symbols of reference indicate like parts in each.

In the drawings, A indicates the canal, inclosed by side walls D, and Bthe loading, and C the unloading, point, it being understood thatsuitable platforms are arranged at these places. In Fig. 2 the boat isshown at B in position ready to take on its passengers, be ing heldsteady for such purpose by the frame 1. To start the boat on its wayafter loading, the rear end of the frame 1 is elevated by means of thecrank-lever 2, shaft 3, and levers 4, the cran k-lever 2 and levers 4being fixedly mounted on the shaft. At the same time, through the mediumof the bars 5 of the frame, levers 6, and shaft 7, the front end of theframe lis lowered. This simultaneous raising of the rear end andlowering of the front end of the frame causes the boat to assume aninclined position and gives to it a starting impetus. Thereafter, byreason of the inclination of the bed of the canal, and consequently ofthe water therein, the boat by the natural flow of the water, aided byartificial speeding mechanism, if desired, floats through the canal andis brought to the terminal or unloading point C and over the frame 8, atthis time submerged, the boat being then in the position at indicated bydotted lines. Then by means of the shaft 9, rotated by the powerwheel10, the levers 11, fixedly mounted on said shaft 9, the frame-bars 12,pivotally connected to the lovers 11 and to levers 13, mounted at theirupper ends on the shaft 14 and at their lower ends to the shaft 15, theboat is raised to the position b'indicated by dotted lines. The boat isheld steady at this point until the passengers have alighted. It is thenraised, by means of the mechanism just described, to the position 0,which is at or a little above the edge of the dam X and of the water inthe canal at the point B. From the position 0 it is slid off the frame 8onto the frame 1 in readiness for another journey.

At the point C the water is pumped from the" canal by means of the pipeY and the pump Z to the top ofan artificial waterfall F, whence it findsits way into the basin G, and from thence into the canal at the point Bby means of the openings H in the canalwall at that point.

The advantages of my invention will be readily appreciated by thoseskilled in the art.

It will be understood that modifications may be made in the constructionand operation of the various parts without departing from the spirit ofthe invention, since What I claim is 1. In canal-boat-operatingmechanism, a frame for supporting the boat mounted and fixed in thecanal and adapted to maintain a substantially horizontal position duringthe embarking of the passengers and to be lowered at its front end andelevated at its rear end so as to give to the frame an inclined positionwhen the boat is to be started on its journey.

2. In canal-boat-operating mechanism, a frame for supporting the boatduring the embarking of the passengers, levers pivotally connected tothe said frame and adapted to elevate the rear end of said frame aboveits normal position, and levers also pivotally connected to said frameandadapted to lower the front end of the frame below its normalposition.

3. In canal-boat-operating mechanism, a frame for supporting the boatduring the embarking of the passengers, levers pivotally connected tothe said frame and adapted to elevate the rear end of the frame aboveits normal position, levers also pi votally connected to the said frameand adapted to lower the front end of the frame below its normalposition, and mechanism for operating said levers.

4. In canal-boat-operating mechanism,'.a frame for supporting the boatduring the embarking of the passengers, levers pivotally connected tothe said frame and adapted to elevate the rear end of the frame aboveits normal position, levers pivotally connected to the said frame andadapted to lower the front end of the frame below its norm al level,shafts on which said levers are fixedly m ounted, and mechanism forturning one of said shafts and thereby operating the levers and theconnected frame.

5. In. combination, a waterway, a frame mounted and fixed therein forreceiving the boat at the end of its journey and for steadying the same,and holding it in a horizontal position during the disembarking of thepassengers, and adapted to be raised with the boat supported thereonfrom its reception position to a higher level to enableit to be floatedonto a higher level of Water in said waterway.

6. In combination, a waterway, a frame mounted and fixed therein forreceiving the boat at the end of its journey and for steadying the same,and adapted to be raised with the boat supported thereon from itsreception position to a higher level to enable it to be floated onto ahigher level of water in said waterway, said frame consisting of a setof bars on which the boat rests, two sets of levers pivotally connectedto said bars, and mechanism for operating said levers.

7. In canal-boat-operating mechanism, a frame for receiving the boat atthe end of its journey and for steadying the same, and adapted to beraised with the boat supported thereon from its reception position to ahigher level to enable it to be floated onto a higher level of water inthe canal, said frame consisting of a set of bars on which the boatrests, two sets of levers pivotally connected to said bars, shafts onwhich said levers are fixedly mounted, and mechanism for turning one ofsaid shafts and thereby operating the levers and the frame connectedthereto.

8. In canal-boat-operating mechanism, a frame for receiving the boat atthe end of its journey and for steadying the same, and adapted to beraised with the boat supported thereon from its reception position to ahigher level, in combination with a second frame for receiving the boatwhen said first frame is raised to its uppermost position, said secondframe being adapted to maintain a substan-

